Australian Back-Out Trivia Quiz

Answer: Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is a wonderful playground for tourists, with swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving amongst the brilliant colors of the coral and the unconcerned aquatic life all within easy reach of several towns on the Queensland coast. The reef was built (and continues to grow) by the actions of tiny organisms called coral polyps.

They secrete calcium carbonate which forms the exoskeleton, the hard substrate of the reef. Similar in composition to limestone, coral reefs are under threat from increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which then translates to slightly more acidic water - like limestone, the coral can be dissolved by more acidic conditions. Most of the Great Barrier Reef is protected by a Marine National Park.

Answer: The Twelve Apostles

These rock pillars were formed by erosion of the soft (miocene) limestone rock. Initially the ocean erodes the shoreline which forms caves. Further erosion results in an arch, and when the arch collapses, resulting in a pillar. The name is rather strange given that there were only nine of these stacks when the name was adopted in the 1920s. Since then, one of these stacks has collapsed (2005), hence as of June 2012, eight remain. Nearby at Port Campbell, one of the limestone arches of the double arch-structure called 'London Bridge' collapsed in 1990, stranding some tourists on the seaward end (they were rescued, unharmed, by helicopter).

The feature has since been renamed 'London Arch'.

Answer: Kangaroo Island

European knowledge of the island commenced with Matthew Flinders' arrival in 1802 aboard the HMS Investigator. He was followed soon after by Frenchman Nicolas Baudin who made the first map. Apart from the wonderful scenery, present day visitors have the opportunity to see both a seal colony and a Little Penguin rookery as well as a wide variety of endemic Australian terrestrial wildlife. Kangaroo Island is one of the rare Australian environments unaffected by the ravages inflicted by rabbits and foxes.

Answer: Fremantle

Popularly shortened to 'Freo', this city on the south side of the Swan River estuary is named after Captain Charles Fremantle, an English naval officer who camped at the site and declared possession of Western Australia following Captain James Stirling's earlier exploration of the region in 1827. Fremantle also received English convicts and the historic prison is now World-Heritage listed. During World War II, Fremantle was the second largest Allied submarine base in the Pacific.

The naval influence continues today just to the south at HMAS Stirling base at Rockingham.

Many of the current recreational activities are focused on the estuary and nearby ocean beaches, the pubs, local breweries and sampling the huge variety of cuisines and excellent local wines on offer.

Answer: Gold Coast

The Gold Coast is extremely popular with both local and international visitors. Accommodation is typically only a few minutes walk from the beach, but please be careful and only swim between the flags! These flags designate areas patrolled by surf life savers; an essential precaution since despite the surf looking inviting, there are many dangerous rips in the region and unfortunately several unwary people drown every year.

The Gold Coast is a favored destination of people from down south escaping the winter and also for many groups of school leavers celebrating the conclusion of high school.

This is the location for parties and exciting night-life rather than a quiet holiday at the beach.

Answer: Ninety Mile Beach

Part of the reason for the seclusion of the Ninety Mile Beach (or strictly, 94 mile beach) is the strong long shore drift (current) running from west to east causing very strong rips. The waves also break very close to shore so this section of coast is generally unsuitable for swimming and surfing.

However, it is a haven for fishermen, those enjoying long, peaceful beach walks and painting/drawing. The township of Lakes Entrance is the focal point of activities and is positioned at the entrance to the Gippsland Lakes, one of Victoria's most popular holiday areas.

The entrance to the lakes is continually dredged to keep it open as sand is constantly moved along by the long shore drift.

Answer: Mt Wellington

Rising 1270m (4000 ft) above the Derwent River valley, the top of Mt Wellington is only a 20 minute drive from Hobart. The short access road (21 km, 13 miles) passes from temperate rainforest to sub-alpine conditions and is frequently featured in running and cycling races.

The mountain features dolerite columns and is frequently snow covered in winter. A commercial operation provides a stunning and challenging downhill cycle course that in true Australian style finishes at a brewery! Charles Darwin climbed Mt Wellington during his visit in 1836 on the HMS Beagle.

Answer: Kakadu

Despite having three Alligator Rivers (West, East and South), the predatory reptiles in Kakadu are crocodiles not alligators. This vast National Park (about half the size of Switzerland) has at least 280 bird species, 60 different mammals, 53 different freshwater fishes, 117 reptile species (including fresh and saltwater crocodiles) and 1600 plant species. Like most of northern Australia, the climate is divided into the wet season (January to April/May), a dry season (April/May to September) and a very hot and humid 'build up' (October to December).

The best time to visit is the dry season as access to most areas is extremely difficult during the wet when most of the annual rainfall of 1300-1500 mm (50-60 inches) per year occurs. The 'build up' is challenging for most people - very high temperatures (up to 38C or 100F) are coupled with almost 100% humidity.

The biggest environmental threats are the invasive weed, Mimosa pigra, and cane toads, which continue their march across the top end of Australia from east to west.

Answer: Broome

Broome was established as a port to assist the pearling industry in the late 19th century and named after the Governor of Western Australia from 1883-1889, Sir Frederick Broome. There was significant involvement of Japanese expertise in this industry and many Japanese (and other) divers died during the difficult collection of the oysters.

This strong cross-cultural relationship is commemorated annually in the 'Shinju Matsuri' ('Festival of the Pearl'). The undersea telegraph cable linking Australia to England via Singapore in 1889 came to shore near Broome, hence providing the name Cable Beach. To assist the flourishing tourism industry, international visitors can now fly directly to Broome rather than having to travel via Perth, 2100 km (1300 miles) to the south. During prime tourist season, during the 'dry' from April until September, the shire's relatively small population (just under 17,000 in June 2011) can increase by a factor of three.

Answer: Byron Bay

Byron Bay is part of a giant caldera, the collapsed cone of a volcano, from the Tweed Volcano which erupted 23 million years ago. In addition to the abundant aquatic pursuits on offer, Byron Bay is a haven for musical and other artistic past times with a wide range of festivals every year.

The town is also a great base to explore the rainforests of the northern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland hinterlands.